Diamond Education

The 4Cs Of Diamonds

WHAT IS DIAMOND CLARITY?

The clarity grade is based on any tiny natural identifiers found within a diamond.

Michael Arthur is very specific with diamonds he sets in his pieces and makes sure they are free from inclusions that are visible without magnification. We recommend these diamonds for the best performance and value for money.

The shape of a diamond can affect the importance of its clarity grade. While the facets of round and princess-cut diamond can hide certain imperfections, step-cut shapes – such as emerald and asscher-cuts – have large, open tables. If you are searching for a step-cut diamond, we suggest looking at those with clarity grades of VS2 or higher.

WHAT IS DIAMOND COLOUR?

This grade refers to the pure white colour of a diamond, or its lack of color.

The less color within the diamond, the more rare and valuable it is likely to be. While D to F color grades are considered Colorless, an untrained eye could not easily spot color within G to I grades. If you are concerned about visible color and are considering platinum or white gold for the ring Michael Arthur recommends D-G to make sure there is no slight colour detected.

WHAT IS DIAMOND CARAT WEIGHT?

Carat weight is a measure of a diamond’s weight, and a reflection of its size.

1 carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Because carat is a record of a diamond’s weight – not its size – two diamonds of slightly different sizes may have the same carat weight. A diamond’s size is also dependent on how evenly its weight is distributed, and the quality of its cut. Some diamonds are cut to maximize carat weight, resulting in less sparkle. A balance of quality in carat and cut is therefore recommended. Speak to Michael Arthur to discuss the ideal proportions of the diamond weight and shape you are looking at purchasing.

WHAT IS DIAMOND CUT?

A quality cut grade allows a diamond to express its natural sparkle and beauty. Cut refers to the quality of a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and also the shape of the diamond such as brilliant cut, princess cut etc.

These angles allow the diamond to capture light and reflect it, producing sparkle. If a diamond’s pavilion is too deep, for example, the center will be noticeably dark or if it is too shallow the diamond will leak light reducing the performance of the diamond.

If you want a truly brilliant diamond, consider those with cut grades of Excellent or Very good. Michael Arthur Diamonds only deal with diamonds with a cut grading of Very good or Excellent.